


The Authentic Life Chapter 1

by ssa_archivist



Category: Smallville
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-10-13
Updated: 2006-10-13
Packaged: 2017-11-01 11:41:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/356325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ssa_archivist/pseuds/ssa_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jonathan and Martha are shocked to discover that Clark and Lex are more than just legendary friends, and Clark's summer in Metropolis is far from gone and forgotten.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	The Authentic Life Chapter 1

## The Authentic Life Chapter 1

by Coren Lee

[]()

* * *

The Authentic Life  
By Coren Lee 

Begins in late fall after Phoenix 

Category: Drama, AU after Rogue 

Spoilers: for Season 1 and 2 

Pairing: Clark/Lex 

Rating: NC-17 for language and m/m sex 

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. 

Comments: Thanks to Jeylan for a fantastic beta, especially as she does not inhabit this particular fandom! Thanks to S. for her perceptive comments about the plot and characterisation. If I could have re-written certain sections as she suggested, the story would be the better for it. Any errors, OOC glitches, and the like are all the responsibility of the author. This is my first attempt at writing slash fiction in any genre, so bear with me! 

Chapter 1 

It was one of those warm soft nights in late fall when the city of Metropolis displayed its brightly coloured plumage, a whispered memory of hot summer nights before the onset of winter. The leaves quivered on the trees as a light breeze sprang up, their vibrant colours dappled against the warm brickwork of the old houses lining the streets. Jonathan had never been a fan of the city, but at this time of year he loved walking along the tree-lined streets of the wealthier parts of Metropolis. He never equated money with happiness, but for once he could allow himself to ignore his instinctive suspicion of affluence and just enjoy the quiet elegance that surrounded them. He and Martha were always too busy on the farm simply to sit back and allow the seasons to wash over them like this. There was always something to do, no time to contemplate the beauties of the fall or take time out to enjoy a romantic walk. They'd come up to the city for the week-end to try to put the pain and distress of the summer well and truly behind them, and he was determined to make sure that his wife enjoyed every moment. They'd had dinner at a small Italian restaurant, an old favourite from their college days, and now he was as close to content as it was possible to be after such a stressful few months. 

"Venus", said Martha, pointing out a bright green-tinted light that flickered overhead. 

"Seems appropriate", he smiled back at her. He had never gotten over his luck at winning such a bride, and the more years they spent together, the luckier he felt. Even their distress when they learned they could not have children faded once the miracle of Clark came into their lives. A second miracle, learning at the beginning of the year that after all this time Martha was actually pregnant, was more than either of them could have wished for. If only that wish hadn't been snatched away from them so cruelly by the events of the summer. 

They were both devastated when Martha lost the baby, but they could have borne it had it not also been the catalyst that drove Clark away. Until that moment Jonathan had felt pretty damn good about the way they had reared their alien son. Sure at times it would have been useful if he could have found something like [www.youralienson.com](http://www.youralienson.com/), but Jonathan figured they had almost made it through high school - if not unscathed then at least more or less unscarred - and that's saying something when you live in a place like Smallville and your son is an honest to goodness alien whose superhuman abilities come on line with no warning and even less guidance. Then it all went to hell in a hand basket. Jonathan was better educated than most people realized; he knew what hubris was all about and he couldn't help wondering if his own self-satisfied complacency had somehow attracted the disaster to them. Or maybe it was simply that he wasn't as good at being a father as he thought he was. 

Then there was the whole Kryptonite thing; dangerous, even deadly, to his son. And truth be told, green Kryptonite might kill Clark if there was enough of it, but exposure to even the smallest amount of red Kryptonite led to disastrous consequences. His and Martha's reaction to the loss of the baby might have been the trigger that caused Clark to leave them, but it was the red Kryptonite ring he put on that made him capable of walking away from his family without a backward glance. This was the first time they had felt confident enough to be apart from Clark for a night since he came back to them, and Jonathan still wasn't really happy about it. He might be less concerned if he knew why his son had simply turned up on the doorstep one day, contrite about his absence but saying only that he had been in Metropolis for a few months. 

And as if Kryptonite and a lost summer weren't all he had to worry about, there was Clark's close friendship with that damned Luthor boy. He couldn't exactly say that Lex had been a bad influence on Clark but every time he saw them together he got a twinge of discomfort. Something flickered in his lizard brain that screamed 'danger! warning!', and it was all the more disturbing because he couldn't put his finger on anything specific. Except of course for wondering what the hell the billionaire heir to one of the largest multinational corporations in America could see in a small town farm boy. Yeah, that disturbed him on any number of levels. He knew his son had hidden depths and possessed a brilliant mind that, if he was honest, frightened the life out of him at times, but the Kents had drummed into Clark that he had to keep his abilities secret, and Luthor couldn't possibly know about those things. Hell, Clark even made sure his grades at school were average enough to keep him flying under the radar. 

It bothered him far more than it should whenever he started to ponder what on earth his son and Lex Luthor had in common, and why they seemed to spend so much time together. Jonathan wasn't deaf or stupid, and he was aware of the gossip around town about his son's friendship with the Luthor heir, but whenever he mentioned it to Clark, the boy just shrugged and said it wasn't his problem what other people chose to think. There had never been any foundation to the gossip, of that Jonathan was certain, but he wished Clark would be more careful of his reputation. 

Luthor's resurrection a few weeks ago had, if anything, deepened their friendship, and that concerned Jonathan in so many ways. Clark's homecoming, only days after Lex Luthor's dramatic return from the dead, was yet another disturbing twist to the strangeness of it all. If only Clark had been able to talk to them, talk to him, when Martha lost the baby. He was certain that it was his own reaction to the tragedy that sent Clark spinning off, out of control, and he could never forgive himself for that. At the time all he could think of was comforting Martha, it never occurred to him that his son would take that to mean that he didn't want to talk to him, that Jonathan somehow blamed him for the accident. It made his son's closeness to the Luthor boy hurt all the more, especially as Jonathan was painfully aware that Clark was keeping him at arm's length. He felt he had somehow lost a battle for Clark that he hadn't even been aware he was fighting. 

With that disconcerting ability she had to read his mind, Martha gave his arm a small squeeze. 

"You know he'll be fine," she said. "It's not the first time we've let him stay with Lex in Metropolis." 

"I know." 

She squeezed his arm harder. 

"I do, really. I'm not worried." 

"You never could lie to me worth a damn, Jonathan", her smile taking the sting out of the words. "But you have to relax. There's no harm in them going to the opera together, and we can't keep Clark hidden in Smallville forever." 

Jonathan was forced to agree, despite his personal misgivings that anything from a Luthor came with more strings attached than Pinocchio. His real fear though was that Clark was back in Metropolis at all. Their son had never told them what he did here during the summer; tactful questions had been deftly turned aside, anything more probing resulted in Clark simply ending the conversation and walking away. They were too afraid of losing him again to push it, but Jonathan had put together enough pieces to know that Clark's summer in the city included a number of things that could get his son jailed for a long time. 

"You're right," he said, "I know that. I'll stop worrying about it, I promise." 

Good as his word he pushed his fears aside, shoved the painful memories as far out of his conscious mind as possible, and just focused on enjoying this wonderful moment with Martha. He managed well enough, and in companionable silence they turned a corner and passed into one of the most fashionable retail districts in Metropolis. A square of lawn with a fountain at its centre was surrounded on all sides by wide, quiet streets, containing some of the most exclusive shops and restaurants the city had to offer. He had no desire to be included on the 'A' list of favoured patrons, but the quiet elegance of the district provided a soothing atmosphere to relax for a while. He was about to suggest that they watch the world go by from the comfort of a park bench near the fountain when he saw something that stopped him dead in his tracks. 

"Jonathan?" 

Martha sounded puzzled, and a little concerned. For the first time Jonathan really appreciated the phrase 'struck dumb'. He tried to reassure her that he was still living and breathing, but nothing was coming out of his throat. Not even a strangled squeak. Fine, fine, he could do this. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in... OK, he's got it now, his lungs are working again. The heart must be working too because something has to be causing that pounding in his chest. Voice? Apparently not, as Martha is still looking at him with concern on her face. Movement, can he do movement? Great, that's his hand he can see pointing, so he can do movement. Martha looks at where he is pointing, and he knows the exact moment that she sees what stunned him because he feels her grip his arm so tightly that it would have been painful under any other circumstances. 

"No, it can't be..." Martha shook her head, looked at Jonathan. 

Standing on the pavement outside one of the most exclusive restaurants in the district was... Clark. And not just Clark; he had his arm around one of the most elegant women that Jonathan had ever seen. She was tall and slender, and had a stunning array of golden blonde hair coiled in an elaborate style that emphasized the grace of her neck and shoulders. Bare shoulders. Bare shoulders displaying pale, creamy skin, leading down to her gently rounded... OK, that's far enough, he doesn't need to go there. As he made a supreme effort to get himself under control, a Lamborghini rolled up to the front of the restaurant. With perfect manners Clark helped his - date? - into the passenger seat, and then walked round as the valet leapt out of the driver's seat and held open the door for him. Clark tucked what Jonathan assumed was a tip into the valet's hand, and from the valet's response it was more than a good one. As the door slammed shut, the Lamborghini screeched off in a style worthy of Lex Luthor himself. There was just time to see the licence plate as the car disappeared in the distance: Kal-El. 

Any vague hopes that Jonathan had mistaken the identity of the driver disappeared. Clearly it was Clark, and just as clearly he was about as far from spending an innocent night at the opera with Lex as it was possible to get. There were so many questions he didn't even know where to begin. 

He saw Martha shake herself like a sleeper coming out of a bad dream. "Give me your wallet, quickly!" she muttered. 

He was too bewildered even to think about why she wanted it, and somehow he got his hands to move sufficiently to pass it over to her. Following her as she trotted over towards the valet, he had absolutely no idea of what she had in mind. 

"Excuse me", she called out, a little breathlessly. 

The valet stopped just as he was about to enter the restaurant, and walked back into the street to meet them. 

"The man that just got into that car? He dropped his wallet," she said, "is there any way you know that we can get in touch with him to return it?" 

Jonathan was left in awed admiration yet again. He would never have thought of that in a million years, let alone seconds after the sort of shock they'd just had. 

"I heard him say something about going on to Planet Krypton, so perhaps you could catch him there?" 

"Excuse me?" 

Jonathan was glad Martha was handling this discussion. He didn't think he could have managed even a strangled squeak at this point, let alone words with more than one syllable. 

"Planet Krypton. Hottest club in Metropolis, two blocks that way," he said, pointing away from the garden square. "I guess you guys are from out of town, huh?" 

"Yes, we are," admitted Martha, "though even if we lived in the city I doubt we are the sort of people who would get into the hottest club in Metropolis." 

"Yeah, you got that right," he laughed, "I'd give my tips for a week just to get into that club for one night." 

"Really?" Jonathan thought it was about time he joined the conversation. "So, it's expensive? I mean, I'm guessing your tips are pretty good?" 

"Yeah my tips are pretty good," said the valet. He gave them a quick grin. "The guy whose wallet you have there? He gave me a Ben Franklin, and most of my customers give me a fifty at least, but it's not the cost of getting into the club, it's that you're only allowed in if you're a member or your name appears on the guest list. Me? I stand no chance." 

"A hundred dollar tip?" Jonathan didn't think he was ever going to get over that. 

"Man, it's how those wealthy boys live. You don't think that car comes cheap do you? Dropping a hundred for a tip isn't even small change to guys like him." 

Before Jonathan could process that thought the door to the restaurant opened, and another couple made their way outside. The valet slapped Jonathan on the back, "gotta go, duty calls." 

Jonathan watched as the valet headed off, and then turned to stare at Martha only to find his confusion mirrored back at him. Somehow it relieved him to discover that she was just as thrown by it all as he was. Made him feel less like he was standing on quicksand, every step threatening to submerge and suffocate him. 

"OK, so we know where he's probably going - what do we do?" Jonathan scratched his head, oblivious to the relevance of the act. "Planet Krypton? How the hell does a club in Metropolis get named Planet Krypton? That has to be Clark's doing, but..." Jonathan stuttered to a halt. 

"Let's go," she said. "We'll work something out when we get there. Whatever we do we can't just walk away from this. Two blocks he said, in that direction. Come on." 

Continues in chapter 2. 


End file.
